FX Trend - Complete Guide
This guide shows you how to set up and use FX Trend for multi-timeframe trend analysis. FX Trend draws a colored trend line directly on your chart and provides an interactive panel that shows trend direction across up to 21 timeframes simultaneously.
Setup & First Steps
- Drag FX Trend onto any chart. Unlike most indicators, it draws directly in the chart window, not in a separate subwindow.
- You will see a colored line appear on the chart and an interactive panel in the corner.
- The default settings activate 9 standard timeframes (M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1, MN1). This is a good starting point.
- Configure the symbols you want to monitor under "Currencies & Symbols Settings" if you want to use the Symbols panel for multi-pair overview.
Key Parameters
Core Calculation Settings
| Parameter | Default | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Periods | 6 | Number of periods for trend calculation. Higher values = smoother, slower trend detection |
| Deviation | 3.0 | Sensitivity of the trend detection. Higher values = fewer trend changes |
| Fade Threshold % | 60% | Below this intensity, the trend is considered "fading" and the line turns yellow |
| MaxBars | 5000 | How far back the historical trend line extends |
For most traders, the defaults work well. If you find the trend switches too often, increase the Deviation. If the trend line stays yellow too much, lower the Fade Threshold.
Timeframe Selection
Each timeframe can be toggled individually. The standard 9 are enabled by default:
Enabled by default: M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1, MN1
Available but disabled: M2, M3, M4, M6, M10, M12, M20, H2, H3, H6, H8, H12
Only enable the timeframes you actually use. Each active timeframe adds to the calculation load, which matters on slower systems or VPS.
Understanding the Display
The Trend Line
The colored line on your chart represents the trend status for the current timeframe:
- Green (Lime): Active uptrend
- Red: Active downtrend
- Yellow: Trend is fading, intensity is below the Fade Threshold
- Invisible: No valid trend data available
A color change from green to red (or vice versa) is a trend switch signal.
The Main Panel
The panel has two views, toggled by clicking:
- All Timeframes view: Shows every active timeframe with its trend status in a list. Each row shows the timeframe name and whether the trend is up, down, neutral, or switching.
- Compact view: A condensed version that takes up less screen space. Use this when you have many timeframes active.
Interactive feature: Click on any timeframe in the panel to switch your chart to that timeframe. This only works for timeframes equal to or higher than your current chart timeframe.
The Symbols Panel (Favourites)
Click the Symbols panel button to open a secondary panel showing multiple instruments with their trend status across timeframes. Click any symbol to switch your chart to that instrument. This is useful for scanning multiple pairs without opening extra charts.
Alerts
FX Trend provides two alert types:
1. Timeframes Inline Alert
This triggers when all timeframes within a specified range are aligned in the same direction.
- Set Inline Alert From (e.g., M15) and Inline Alert To (e.g., H4)
- The alert fires when every timeframe from M15 to H4 shows the same trend direction
- "From" must be a shorter timeframe than "To", otherwise you get an error
This is a powerful confluence signal. When M15, M30, H1, and H4 all agree on direction, the trend has broad support.
2. Trend Switch Alert
Triggers when the trend changes direction on the observed symbol. This is useful for catching trend reversals in real time.
Both alert types support the standard notification channels: popup, email, mobile push, and sound. You can schedule alerts to specific time windows and weekdays.
Practical Tips
- Start with the standard 9 timeframes. Adding all 21 creates a lot of noise without adding proportional value. The standard set covers scalping through position trading.
- Use the Inline Alert for high-confidence entries. When timeframes from H1 to D1 all align, you have a strong trend signal. Set your Inline Alert range to match your trading style (e.g., H1-to-D1 for swing traders).
- Yellow means caution, not exit. When the trend line turns yellow, the trend is losing momentum but has not reversed. It is a signal to tighten stops or avoid new entries, not necessarily to close positions.
- The Compact view saves screen space. If you trade on a laptop or have multiple indicators running, switch to Compact view.
- Use the Symbols panel for morning scans. Open the Favourites panel and quickly scan which pairs have strong multi-timeframe alignment. Focus your trading on those pairs for the session.
- Disable unused timeframes for faster loading. If you never trade on M1 or M2, turn them off. This speeds up calculation, especially on first load.
Integration with Power Candle EA
FX Trend integrates directly with the Power Candle EA as a trend filter:
- The EA reads FX Trend's data via iCustom (Buffer 4 = trend line price, Buffer 5 = trend status)
- Trend status values: 0 = UP, 1 = DOWN, 2 = NEUTRAL, 3 = SWITCH
- You can configure the EA to only open trades in the direction of the FX Trend signal
- The trend line can also serve as a dynamic stop-loss or trailing stop level
This combination is one of the most popular setups: the EA generates entry signals, and FX Trend filters out counter-trend trades.
Common Issues
- "Loading data" or "Updating data" stays on screen permanently: The indicator is waiting for historical data. Reduce the number of active symbols and timeframes, or wait for MetaTrader to finish downloading data. Make sure enough D1 history is available for all symbols.
- Trend line missing or invisible: Fixed in version 1.21/1.22. Update to the latest version and check that "Show history lines" is enabled.
- Alerts not firing: Verify that (1) the alert type is enabled, (2) the time schedule covers the current time, (3) the correct weekday is enabled, and (4) the Alert button in the panel is turned on.
- "Timeframes Inline Alert: incorrect timeframes selection": The "From" timeframe must be shorter than the "To" timeframe. For example, From = M15, To = H4 is correct. From = H4, To = M15 is not.
- Panel conflicts with multiple instances: Assign different Instance IDs to each instance on the same chart.